From the Associate Director
I welcome you to the fall 2025 issue of Gleanings, a publication of The William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education. The issue, focusing on “Jewish Education: Casting a Wider Net,” comes out in a hopeful time. My heart is filled with relief and gratitude as we welcome the released living hostages home. In moments like these, Jewish educators help our students—and all of us—find the language and the tools for hope, compassion, and resilience. May the families still awaiting the return of their loved ones find strength and support.
As I watched the reunion videos over and over, I realized that even as each former hostage was the focus of so much attention, surrounding them was a broad and diverse community—family members, security team, healthcare providers, friends. All these individuals, not to mention those of us watching from around the world, experience tremendous impact from such powerful moments. Educators in the field know that learning and impact can indeed have a reach far beyond the students in their classrooms.
Mentoring, teaching, and constructing Jewish life can happen in many ways. As experienced, creative educators, we are faced with multiple ways of practicing Jewish education. In this issue, we are presenting four educators whose educational impact extends broadly into the surrounding community. We know that community is at the heart of Jewish education. Judaism is not only learned from books but lived with others—through shared practice, values, and relationships. In communities, students discover belonging, deepen identity, and see themselves as part of the Jewish story. It is through connection with others that Jewish learning becomes Jewish living
For this issue, we approached experienced educators whose thoughtful and innovative initiatives inspire, educate, and support not only the organizations where they are employed, but deep into the broader community.
Rabbi Anne Ebersman, a doctoral candidate at the Davidson School is the director of hesed and tzedek at the Heschel School; Allie Conn Kanter is the senior director of programs and engagement at Hadar; Rabbi Yael Beuchler is the rabbi and outreach coordinator at the Leffell Lower School; and Rabbi Charlie Schwartz is the co-founder of Lehrhaus. Each of these educators approach community in different ways, reaching out to the wider community with innovative tools and ideas. We, part of the broader community they reach, are the beneficiaries of these creative and original ideas about Jewish education.
Especially in this difficult time, amid the trauma of war and personal losses, educators face challenges and need all the support and compassion we can get. We hope you will find this issue interesting, hopeful, and helpful in your own practice.
We send our thoughts to the people who lost their dear ones and to the families of all who have suffered. As we write this in November, we still pray for peace and safety to the land of Israel and well-being to all who dwell there.
Ofra Arieli Backenroth
The William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education
